Chris -- It is probably important to point out that the difference between World Café and Open Space has nothing to do with time. It is all about control and pre-existing structure. I have been part of Open Spaces that were organized in the moment and lasted for less than an hour. Given the situation, it was the only thing that could be done, and the level, intensity, and productivity of the conversation was outstanding. And, for whatever it is worth, none of the participants had ever been in an Open Space previously. Of course, we did not reach the depth that is possible in a multi-day Open Space -- but there was zero question about the capacity of the people involved to thrive in the space/time available.
Personally, I find World Café (and other such pre-structured approaches) to be very constraining, and to some extent demeaning in that there is an implied presumption that the assembled folks will not be able to initiate and sustain a meaningful conversation. I can understand that there is always that fear, but 20 years of Open Space experience in just about every configuration imaginable has brought me to the conclusion that fear is simply unjustified -- provided the people involved actually CARE about the subject and about addressing it. And if they don't care, I am not sure that any other approach could create the conditions for conversation. Yes, folks will go through the motions -- but that, as I've seen it -- is where it stops. Just motions. At the end of the day, I suspect that the deciding factor about using Open Space or something else (World Café, etc.) has little, if anything, to do with the participants, and everything to do with the feelings, expectations and desires of the client (sponsor) and the consultant (facilitator). If either is afraid that things might get out of control, or just have an inherent need to feel that they are still, somehow, in control -- then Open Space is definitely the wrong choice. But for the people, Open Space will present no problem -- provide they truly care to be there. Absent that caring, there is probably not a lot of reason to have the gathering in the first place. Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, Maryland 20845 Phone 301-365-2093 Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm [email protected] To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of chris macrae Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2005 5:02 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: The World Cafe I think there is a desperate need for a 1 hour (2 hour max) café/circle format -let them openly multiply and see which thrive I would like to see open space people catalogue those clarifying what it is that you give up in each format compared with the full 3 day open space. Seen from this perspective: world café is only one of various viable formats, and like Open Space itself, there is also potential for huge execution slip, but the more with WC the less clear it makes what its minimal rules are When it comes to cafes giving up something I believe this is perfectly legitimate to love open space but to want to do its spirit more often than 3-day events will allow, as well as induct people in the possibilities who will never start with a 3-day event. Those managers who are most out of control of their time -and other people's - paradoxically need Open Space most but will seldom find the 3-day starting line Here is a context of critical interest to me and people in large cities I network with. It is not like World Café's which says its scale to any number by multiplying tables in circulation but it is intent on maximizing the learning of the 12 Suppose that we put all the same effort into an invitation process so that contextually the people who come are the right people; suppose that we make the maximum number at a café 12. Speaking very personally I simply do not believe JC would have used WC, but then I have given up understanding what many people mean by both faith and bushes because I am just a mathematician who likes seeing what maps people connect around. Suppose what we "mathematicial open sourcers" want to know after 2 hours is which of those people will continue networking for ever until the invitation's puzzle is resolved at least in all the minds of those who join in. How does one do that café? I suspect within the facilitation experiences of this listserve there is much wisdom for iteratively designing the answer as anywhere. And at least in terms of learning networks, this open source café's "Request for Design" could be a baby in the open space family?? Chris Macrae, [email protected] London 0793 144 2446 & DC http://www.disruptive-mice.org/forums/24/ShowForum.aspx The most disruptive virtual café known until you all beam us up Open Maths of The Game of Your Life http://futurewealth.blogspot.com/ * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected]: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected]: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
